Beer of the Weekend #184: Old Rasputin
The deadline for my next LV beer recommendation is Monday, which means another four or five midweek BotW’s are coming down the pipeline.
Today I talked with Joe Hotek, the main beer guru at Dirty John’s, about possible brew matches for January. Something dark and strong is in order, and Mosher’s Tasting Beer recommends imperial stout for the year’s first month. Mosher also suggested barley wine, which piqued my interest. Joe made a few recommendations and I took home a couple bottles of both styles.
Without having tasted any beer, I am leaning toward imperial stout. Joe said many barley wines are only available for short and sporadic periods, which is not an ideal situation for a monthly recommendation. Availability is something I need to keep in mind, and I know imperial stouts are more obtainable.
The first sampling is quite possibly the epitome of Russian imperial stout, at least in the States: Old Rasputin, brewed by the North Coast Brewing Company of Fort Bragg, California.
Old Rasputin was one of the beers I did not get to sample during my last month in the Golden State, when I was trying as many California beers as possible. However, unlike many west coast beers, Old Rasputin is available outside of the region so it was not like my access to it was cut off.
Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date or batch code on the bottle.
Appearance: Straight pour into a becker glass. The color is a deep, completely opaque black; no light passed through when I held it to my lamp. A thick, three-finger head of cappuccino-colored foam developed and dissipated very slowly to leave a ring around the edge.
Smell: Loads of roasted glory. Roasted chocolate, coffee, and caramel malts. There is also a nice toffee and molasses sweetness to keep the aroma balanced. There are also hints of dark berries: to me it smelled like blueberry and raspberry. There is a little dark fruit in the mix as well. It is a very enticing aroma.
Taste: More roasted glory, and the first sip was a shock of burnt bitterness; the overpowering intensity, though, passed after a couple sips. Roasted chocolate and coffee malts. The caramel from the smell is there, but it instead adds a touch of sweetness. The taste is nutty and also features flavors of dark fruit (perhaps plum), toffee, molasses, and vanilla. Way deep down, at the very end of each sip, is a noticeable alcohol edge that tickles the back of the throat, but it is very faint and does nothing to interfere with the other flavors.
Drinkability: Excellent beer. It is very complex, flavorful, and warming. Drink six of these and I will guarantee you will wake up with a headache (at least I will).
Fun facts about Old Rasputin:
-Style: Russian Imperial Stout. Here’s what BA has to say about the style:
-Price: $2.49/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends chocolate, dessert (maybe chocolate dessert?), and “digestive.”
-IBU: 75.
-According to the North Coast website, Old Rasputin is brewed in the tradition of “…18th Century English brewers who supplied the court of Russia’s Catherine the Great...”
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
Today I talked with Joe Hotek, the main beer guru at Dirty John’s, about possible brew matches for January. Something dark and strong is in order, and Mosher’s Tasting Beer recommends imperial stout for the year’s first month. Mosher also suggested barley wine, which piqued my interest. Joe made a few recommendations and I took home a couple bottles of both styles.
Without having tasted any beer, I am leaning toward imperial stout. Joe said many barley wines are only available for short and sporadic periods, which is not an ideal situation for a monthly recommendation. Availability is something I need to keep in mind, and I know imperial stouts are more obtainable.
The first sampling is quite possibly the epitome of Russian imperial stout, at least in the States: Old Rasputin, brewed by the North Coast Brewing Company of Fort Bragg, California.
Old Rasputin was one of the beers I did not get to sample during my last month in the Golden State, when I was trying as many California beers as possible. However, unlike many west coast beers, Old Rasputin is available outside of the region so it was not like my access to it was cut off.
Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date or batch code on the bottle.
Appearance: Straight pour into a becker glass. The color is a deep, completely opaque black; no light passed through when I held it to my lamp. A thick, three-finger head of cappuccino-colored foam developed and dissipated very slowly to leave a ring around the edge.
Smell: Loads of roasted glory. Roasted chocolate, coffee, and caramel malts. There is also a nice toffee and molasses sweetness to keep the aroma balanced. There are also hints of dark berries: to me it smelled like blueberry and raspberry. There is a little dark fruit in the mix as well. It is a very enticing aroma.
Taste: More roasted glory, and the first sip was a shock of burnt bitterness; the overpowering intensity, though, passed after a couple sips. Roasted chocolate and coffee malts. The caramel from the smell is there, but it instead adds a touch of sweetness. The taste is nutty and also features flavors of dark fruit (perhaps plum), toffee, molasses, and vanilla. Way deep down, at the very end of each sip, is a noticeable alcohol edge that tickles the back of the throat, but it is very faint and does nothing to interfere with the other flavors.
Drinkability: Excellent beer. It is very complex, flavorful, and warming. Drink six of these and I will guarantee you will wake up with a headache (at least I will).
Fun facts about Old Rasputin:
-Style: Russian Imperial Stout. Here’s what BA has to say about the style:
Inspired by brewers back in the 1800’s to win over the Russian Czar, this is the king of stouts, boasting high alcohol by volumes and plenty of malt character. Low to moderate levels of carbonation with huge roasted, chocolate and burnt malt flavours. Often dry. Suggestions of dark fruit and flavors of higher alcohols are quite evident. Hop character can vary from none, to balanced to aggressive.
-Price: $2.49/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends chocolate, dessert (maybe chocolate dessert?), and “digestive.”
-IBU: 75.
-According to the North Coast website, Old Rasputin is brewed in the tradition of “…18th Century English brewers who supplied the court of Russia’s Catherine the Great...”
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
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